The Most Influential Women To Watch In 2022

President & CEO South Point Financial Services Inc.

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From Editor’s Desk

Inthiseraofconstantcompetition,itdoesn'tmatterwhatgenderisbuteveryoneisrunningintheracetobe successfulandprovethemselves.Thepluspointthateveryladyshouldbethankfulforistherighttoeducation. Thecalculationofthegrowthinwomanempowermentiscommendableovertheperiodoftime.

Noweverywherewomenareonestepaheadandaredoingunstoppablegrowth.It'salwayssaidthathalfofthe developmentofanationdependsonawoman'sliteracyrate.Tofightforself-esteemandself-respectisnot selfishnessbutisself-careorself-love.

FeaturingTheEnterpriseWorld'sthisissueofTheMostInfluentialWomentoWatchin2022 arethestoriesofsuch successfulbusinesses,thathavemadeitthrougheveryoddstormandmadeittothetop.

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

Itisrareforanindividualtohavealltheunderwritingcertificationsandqualificationsandhavethesamesuccessas atopproduceronthesalesside.Hervastexperienceandknowledgeoftheunderwritingguidelinesgaveheranedge whencounselingmortgageloanborrowersinthepurchaseofahome,ortherefinanceofanexistinghome.

GwendolynYoung:IhaveaBachelorofScienceDegreeinBusinessAdministrationwithafocusonInformation SystemsfromDeVryUniversity,andaMasters'sDegreeinOrganizationalLeadershipfromLewisUniversity.I've beennamedoneofthemostinfluentialwomeninbusinessbytheDailyHeraldBusinessLedgerinpartnershipwith theNationalAssociationofWomenBusinessOwners–ChicagoChapterandtheWomen'sInnovationNetwork.

YourVirtualAdminExpertisanonlinebusinessmanagementsupportagencyforestablishedprofessionalservice providers,coaches,andconsultantswhoarehelpingothersgetthemental,emotional,physical,andfinancialwellbeingtheydeserve.

ZaraZamani:Well,myprofessionalexperienceisnotawholedifferentstorytomanymorewhomadeitrightin theircareer.Itisalotaboutfocus,hardwork,learningtodosmartwork,andthenworkingsmartbuthard.Iaman engineerturnedleader.Istartedmycareerintheoilandgasindustryasahardcorefieldengineer.

MyexperienceintheOilandgasindustrytaughtmetocommunicateeffectivelywithaverydiversegroupofpeople intermsofprofession,skills,education,culture,gender,language,andmanymore.Italsotoughenedmeupsinceit wasaverymaledominantindustry.

JenniferBarnes:IstartedtheOptimaofficeinOctoberof2018aftermyex-partnersdidahostiletakeoverofmy firstcompany.ImadethemistakeofbeinginasituationwithmyfirstcompanywhereIonlyowned45%ofthe organization.Ibroughtinover90%ofalltherevenueandmostoftheemployees.Wewerethe5thfastest-growing companyinSanDiegoour4thyearinbusinessandthingsseemedtobegoingextremelywell,until-well-they weren't.Inyear6,afteracoupleofyearsofbeinginabadrelationshipwithmypartners,theyfoundawaytodoa hostiletakeoverofthecompany.Iwalkedoutwithsecurityandhadeverythingtakenfromme.

MindyRothenberger:MindyRothenbergeristhePresidentandCEOatSouthpointFinancialServices.Hervast experienceinthemortgageandfinancialindustryhasproventobeagreatcatalystforhersuccess.Sheenteredthe mortgageindustry26yearsagoandworkedherwayupfromthebottom,becomingthetopproducerineachjob functionalongtheway.

Shalmali W.

Leaders in Spotlight

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

MindyRothenberger:Mindy RothenbergeristhePresidentandCEOat SouthpointFinancialServices.Hervast experienceinthemortgageandfinancial industryhasproventobeagreatcatalystfor hersuccess.Sheenteredthemortgage industry26yearsagoandworkedherway upfromthebottom,becomingthetop producerineachjobfunctionalongtheway

Itisrareforanindividualtohaveallthe underwritingcertificationsand qualificationsandhavethesamesuccessas atopproduceronthesalesside.Hervast experienceandknowledgeofthe underwritingguidelinesgaveheranedge whencounselingmortgageloanborrowers inthepurchaseofahome,ortherefinance ofanexistinghome.

GwendolynYoung:IhaveaBachelorof ScienceDegreeinBusinessAdministration withafocusonInformationSystemsfrom DeVryUniversity,andaMasters'sDegree inOrganizationalLeadershipfromLewis University.I'vebeennamedoneofthemost influentialwomeninbusinessbytheDaily HeraldBusinessLedgerinpartnershipwith theNationalAssociationofWomen BusinessOwners–ChicagoChapterand theWomen'sInnovationNetwork.

YourVirtualAdminExpertisanonline businessmanagementsupportagencyfor establishedprofessionalserviceproviders, coaches,andconsultantswhoarehelping othersgetthemental,emotional,physical, andfinancialwell-beingtheydeserve.

ZaraZamani:Well,myprofessional experienceisnotawholedifferentstoryto

manymorewhomadeitrightintheir career.Itisalotaboutfocus,hardwork, learningtodosmartwork,andthen workingsmartbuthard.Iamanengineer turnedleader.Istartedmycareerintheoil andgasindustryasahardcorefield engineer.

MyexperienceintheOilandgasindustry taughtmetocommunicateeffectivelywith averydiversegroupofpeopleintermsof profession,skills,education,culture, gender,language,andmanymore.Italso toughenedmeupsinceitwasaverymale dominantindustry

JenniferBarnes:IstartedtheOptima officeinOctoberof2018aftermyexpartnersdidahostiletakeoverofmyfirst company.Imadethemistakeofbeingina situationwithmyfirstcompanywhereI onlyowned45%oftheorganization.I broughtinover90%ofalltherevenueand mostoftheemployees.Wewerethe5th fastest-growingcompanyinSanDiegoour 4thyearinbusinessandthingsseemedtobe goingextremelywell,until-well-they weren't.Inyear6,afteracoupleofyearsof beinginabadrelationshipwithmy partners,theyfoundawaytodoahostile takeoverofthecompany.Iwalkedoutwith securityandhadeverythingtakenfromme.

Wewerethe5thfastest-growingcompany inSanDiegoour4thyearinbusinessand thingsseemedtobegoingextremelywell, until-well-theyweren't.Inyear6,aftera coupleofyearsofbeinginabad relationshipwithmypartners,theyfounda waytodoahostiletakeoverofthe company.Iwalkedoutbysecurityandhad everythingtakenfromme.

C O N T M I N D Y

Simplifying Mortgage Financing

President/CEO South Point Financial Services Inc.

Lifecangettoughattimes.With pilingdemandsandanever increasinginflationratesthere canbeafewtimesinlifewhereyou willneedtoborrowmoneyforvarious reasons.Homeloansisoneofthemost prominentofthemall,orasyoucallit, mortgage.Financingthrough mortgagingcanseemlikeadifferent ballgamealtogether.Butwiththeright guidancefromtherightpeople,things canbestraightenedout.

FeaturingfortheCoverStoryofThe EnterpriseWorld'sthisissueofThe MostInfluentialWomentoWatchin 2022isMindyRothenberger,finance experthelpingpeoplesimplify mortgage.

ExceptionalLeadershipOfMindy-

MindyRothenbergeristhePresident andCEOatSouthpointFinancial Services.Hervastexperienceinthe mortgageandfinancialindustryhas proventobeagreatcatalysttoher success.

Sheenteredthemortgageindustry26 yearsagoandworkedherwayupfrom thebottom,becomingthetopproducer ineachjobfunctionalongtheway.

Itisrareforanindividualtohaveall theunderwritingcertificationsand qualificationsandhavethesame successasatopproduceronthesales side.Hervastexperienceand knowledgeoftheunderwriting guidelinesgaveheranedgewhen counsellingmortgageloanborrowers inthepurchaseifahome,orthe refinanceofanexistinghome.

Shequicklyearnsthetrustofher borrowersaswellasherindustry peers,bydeliveringoneveryloanas shesaidshecould.

Mindytriestounderstandeachjob

functioninthecompanyandtriesto reachtheknowledgeleveltoperform them.Shefeelsitisimportantto understandeachdepartment's challengesandhowotherdepartmental changesmayhaveanunintendedimpact onanotherdepartment.

Asforthekeyskills,havingstarted fromthegroundandup,theexperience isinvaluable.Theamountofinsight learnedfromyearsofpreformingthose tasksareinvaluable.Theseexperiences overtheyearshelpsMindyto understandanemployee'sstruggleor complaintbetterthanmostleaders simplybecauseshehasdonethejob herself.

It'shumannatureformosttofindaman whoisstrongorsterntobeadmired,yet asawomanifyouusethosesame methodsmostpeoplefindthedelivery toberudeornasty.Thisispartof humannatureaspeopleoftenlookto menleadershiptobesternandstrong.

Theonlymottothatworksforthese situationsistochoosewordswiselyby listeningmoreandspeakingless.When inameeting,orpresentinganidea, Mindytriestobedirectandtothepoint. Asthisisachancewheretheother partycanseethefacialexpressionsand itmakeseveryonemoreawareofthe intent.

SouthpointFinancialServiceswasborn in1996bytwomenwhoownedan insurancecompanythatworkedclosely withlocalcommunitybanksthroughout theSoutheast.Throughthisclose workingrelationshipwiththesesmaller banks,LarryOverbyandJohnMurphy wereabletoidentifyacommon complaintfromeachofthem,theability tooffermortgageproductsandservices.

HerJourneywithSouthpoint FinancialServicesInc.-

COVID showed us, anything can happen and if we overspend, we will never have an ability to save for that unforeseen event.

Althoughthesecommunitybanks wantedtoservicealltheircustomers' financialneedsin-house,mostcould notoffertheirconsumersmortgage products.Throughthisneed,itwas decidedtoopenSouthpointFinancial Servicesallowingthesebanksthe abilitytoservicetheirownconsumers' mortgageneeds.

Southpointwouldgivethesebanksthe comfortofknowingtheirconsumer wouldnotbeovercharged,andmore importantly,theirconsumerwouldnot besteeredawayfromtheirsmaller bankasSouthpointwouldonlyoffer mortgageproductsonbehalfofthe bank.Thus,Southpointwasborn.

OvercomingtheChallenges-

Inthefinancialsector,trustisvitalfor success.Withoutit,mostwillnotgive yourcompanytheopportunityto participateinoneofthebiggest purchasesoftheirlives.Whenpeople decidetobuyahome,moreoftenthan notthehavesavedforalongtimeto enablethemtopurchase.Theyoftenhave avisionorideaintheirheadofwhatthe processwillbelike,thereforetheyare skepticalwhendeliverednewstheymay notlike. Puttinglimitationsonone's purchasingpowerisalreadyadifficult task,butiftheotherpartiesdonothavea leveloftrustandconfidenceinyour businessandyourperformance,itmakes thehomebuyingprocessverydifficult.

The biggest issues were building our brand and trust.

Time! Timeandperformanceisthekeyto earningareputationthatwilllastthroughdecades aswellasmultiplemarketchanges.It's imperativetopreformandmeettheexpectations everysingletimeoneparticipatesinafinancial transaction. Alwaysrememberingthatthis processisnewtotheborrower,thereforeitis importanttoremainpatientwiththeborrowerand totakethetimetoensuretheyfeelconfidentin theloantheyareacceptingwithalevelof understandingaboutit.

TheGrowthQuotient-

Steady.Southpointhasnotdonemuchfor advertising. Mostofthebusinessisaresultof referralsfrompastclientsorthird-partyvendors theyhaveworkedwithinthepast.

If we take care of today and our duty to our clients today, then tomorrow will take care of itself. Growth will be steady and paced such that we control our results and image.

Onekeypointthattheteam incorporatesisthattheyarevery particularwithstafftheyhire,taking greateffortstoensureaculturalfit. Bigisn'talwaysbetter. Southpoint doesnotstrivetobethe“biggest” lenderoutthere,rathertheystrivetobe the“bestpreforming”lenderoutthere.

SouthpointFinancialServices'biggest assettothwartcompetitionhasalways beentheconsumers'servicefromtheir employees.

“Myphilosophyisthatyouremployees AREyourbusiness.Itisimperativeto acompany'ssuccessthatyoumustfirst takecareofthosewhoaretakingcare ofyourconsumers,”saysMindy.

Employeeswhofeelrespected, appreciated,andempoweredbecome

yourmostvaluableassetasthese employeestendtoremainloyal, puttingforththeirbesteffortsdaily. Thelongevityofacompany's employeesspeaksvolumesforthe leadershipandcompany'sphilosophy.

“Asaleader,ifItakecareofmybig assets,termsuccessandnotjustthe instantgratificationofclosingtheloan forthecurrentborrower.Theydonot mindteachinganewhomeownerabout themortgageprocessandwhatthe termsandconditionsoftheirloan meanforthem.SaysMindy

Furtheringthesuccessfulstintof Southpoint'sservices,Mindywould liketooffertheservicesinall50

For women in leadership the biggest lesson is speak less and listen more!

“I would like to offer a more digital process for the transaction that would enable a more user –friendly process for all parties involved in the transaction.”

states.Ideallywithaslowgrowth suchthatadownturninthemarket doesnotcausethefirmtooutspend itsbalancesheet.

ExecutionComeswithLittle Steps-

Becausesomanyborrowers sufferedfinancialhardshipsor losses,thefirmaslendersfeel responsibletoensurealevelof protectionforthem.Theyhave addedsomeadditionalpoliciesthe borrowermustqualifyfortoget approved.Theteamwantstoensure theyunderstandtheimportanceofa mortgageloan,howitaffectstheir credit,whathappensiftheyshould default,whodotheycall,etc.

Southpointnowrequireseveryfirsttimehomebuyertotaketheonline courseandgivethemproofthey havetakenitandpassedit. While thisisnotrequiredonmostofthe programs,asaresponsibleteam theythinkit'simportanttoensure thesebuyershavealevelof understandingaboutthemortgage anditscommitment. Afterall,it's oftenthebiggestpurchaseoftheir lives.

Thefirmwouldalsowanttoseea littlemorereservethantheydid beforethepandemic. Theyarenot addingtheselayerstohurttheir borrowerorfrustrationourpartners, howeverMindyfeelstheyhavea dutytodotheirbesttoputthem intoahomeatapricepointtheycan afford.

Thebuyerneedstounderstandthey arebuyingahometodaytogetinto thegame. Thishometodayallows themtostartbuildingwealthanda nesteggsotheyCANbuytheir dreamhomenext. But'sita process,theyoftenwantmorethan

theycanaffordandratherthanpush thehigheramountforbiggerloans, wepushfortheloweronetoensure theborrowerKEEPSthishome!

Mindy'sAdvicetotheBudding Venturers-

“FirstofallAnythingispossible.I neverthoughtcomingfromvery humblebeginnings,Iwouldbe whereIamtoday WithoutthatD1 collegedegree,Isimplydonotfitin whenyouthinkoftheelite. Learn tobeokwithnotfittingin,stars neverdo,theyshineabovetherest anyway. Others'opinionscanoffer valuefeedbackforpersonalgrowth, butdon'tletitdefineyourworthor setlimitationsonyourlife.

Don'tbesoquicktoacceptfailureor defeatbecauseyourstartwasalittle lowerandmytakealittlemore effortoralittlelongerthanthatD1 grad. Agreatattitude,willingnessto engageinaprocessandlearnand mostimportantlyhavingagreat workethicwillwineverytime. Don'tfeellessthanbecauseofyour gender,race,orsocialstatusand NEVERallowanyonetodetermine yourvalue,orlimityourgoalsbut you.

Learneverythingyoucantobecome theexpert,knowledgeisthebiggest giftsopayattentionwhenyouare beingtrained. Lastlywhendoreach leadership,understandwhat leadershiptrulymeans. Itsnotabout thetitle,it'snotabouttheabilityto barkordersormakebigdecisions. Leadershiphastocomefromwithin, youmusttrulycareaboutothersand wanttoseethemachievesuccess. A leaderwillbearesourcefor developmentandleadingthevision forthosetheylead. Lastlylearnto speaklessandlistenmore!!!”

“I am a handson leader.”

Founder & CEO VirtualAdmin Expert, LLC

Supporting Managers to Boost Results

Entrepreneurshipandleadershiparesuch rolesthatrequirenotjustasteadyheadand calmmind,butalsotheskillofacquiring therightpeoplefortherightjobs.Oneimportant jobthatlaysthefoundationofagreatandefficient teamisthatofthebusinessmanager Thekeyrole ofabusinessmanageristoleadandsupervisethe workoftheemployees.

Abusinessmanagerisresponsiblefordesigning strategiesandalsomanagingtheallday-to-day

operationsintheorganizationthatmakeitmore efficient.

FeaturingforTheEnterpriseWorld'sthisissueof TheMostInfluentialWomenIn2022is GwendolynYoung,Founder/CEOofVirtual AdminExpert,LLC,aleaderhelpingotherscreate anefficientworkenvironment.

Inthisinterviewwithher,letusknowmoreabout thejourneyofthecompany.

Whenwasthecompanyincepted?

2019

Whatwereyourinitialchallenges andhowdidyoupaveyourway throughthose?

Theinitialchallengesformewere beinginthebusinesssolodoing everythingmyselfandtryingtodoall oftheclientwork,allwhile managingachronicillness.Iquickly realizedthatinordertofullyserve myclientsthewayIenvisionedand notrunmyhealthintotheground,I knewIneededtosetclearboundaries andgetsomesupport,soIslowly startedtosubcontractoutworkto helpme,andIputprocessesand systemsinplacetomakethingsmore automated.Thatwasagamechanger forme.

Whatwasthevisionofyourcompany whenyoustarted?

Tobeahighly-soughtafter administrativesupportservicesagencyin thevirtualspace.

Wheredoesitstandtoday,intermsof therevenueandclientelebase?

Weareamulti-sixfigureagency supportingsomeofthemostpremiere coaches,consultants,andprofessional serviceprovidersacrosstheglobe.

Howwouldyoufurtheryourservices?

YourVirtualAdminExpertisanonline businessmanagementsupportagencyfor establishedprofessionalservice providers,coachesandconsultantswho arehelpingothersgetthemental, emotional,physical,andfinancialwellbeingtheydeserve.

We'reexpertsinhelpingyoumanage thebackendofyourbusiness,soyou canfocusonyourclients,your growth,andyourprofits.

Howwouldyoudescribeyour growthtrajectoryovertheyears?

Ourgrowthwasoriginallyslowand steadyandmorerecentlyhasstartedto reallytakeoff.In2021,wehada 100%increaseinclientsandrevenue.

Whatisthereasonbehindyour company'slong-standingsuccess?

Wefocusonbuildinggood relationshipswithourclientsand everyyearourstrategicgoalis focussedonhowwecanaddmore valuetoourclients.Wedon'tjust serveaspeoplewhocandotasksfor them,webecomeapartoftheir businessandtheirlivessothatwecan servethemfully.Becauseourclients knowwehavetheirbestinterestsat heartatalltimes,wetakeownership ofourwork,andwecareaboutthem andtheirbusinesses,theylovetowork withuslongtermandtellothersabout theworkwedo.

Howdoyouusetechnologytoyour benefit?

Technologyisacorepartofhowwe dobusiness.Beinginthevirtualspace, weusetechnologytohelpusonboard newclientswithease,manageour teamandprojectsefficiently,andtrack ourrevenueandfinancials.

Technologyisapartofeverythingwe do.Wehaveasystemforeverything fromscheduling,totaskmanagement, tocommunicatingwithclients,to communicatingwitheachother,as wellasensuringaccesstoallthe neededinformationandresources.We couldn'tdowhatwedowithout technology

Pleasewalkusthroughyour professionalbackground.

IhaveaBachelorofScienceDegreein BusinessAdministrationwithafocus onInformationSystemsfromDeVry University,aMastersDegreein OrganizationalLeadershipfromLewis University

I'vebeennamedasoneofthemost influentialwomeninbusinessbythe DailyHeraldBusinessLedgerin partnershipwiththeNational AssociationofWomenBusiness Owners–ChicagoChapterandthe Women'sInnovationNetwork.

ReceivedtheElizabethTimpton'sGirls MentoringAwardformyworkinthe communitybyPassagesAlternative Living,Inc.

Wasoneoftwentyemergingleadersin theUSselectedastherecipientofthe 2012JudithO'ConnorScholarAward forEmergingNonprofitLeadersby BoardSource.

TransformationalBusinessLeaderof theyearbyExeleonMagazine

Withtheyearsofexpertise,you bringtothetable,whatareyour futureplans?

Toscaleandgrowourcompanytothe 7-figurelevelandthencreatea programthatteachesother administrativeprofessionalswhohave adesiretoworkforthemselveshowto dothesame.

Awordforthebudding entrepreneurs?

Ownyourpowerandyourvoice.You matterandwhatyouhavetheworld needs.Ifyouhaveanideathatcan solveaproblemforagroupofpeople thataddsmassivevalue,goforit.And

don'tdoitalone,surroundyourself withacommunityoflike-minded peoplewhowillpushyou,encourage you,andholdyouaccountable.

Howdoyoulookafteryour employees?Whatmakesyourteam unique?

Myteamisamazing.Theycomefrom alldifferentbackgrounds,ageranges, andexperiences.It'sgreatworking withthem.Wedoourbestasa companytoaddvaluetothemby providingmonthlytrainings,sending giftsforimportantdateslikebirthdays andworkanniversaries,wehave quarterlylunchtogethervirtually,and wehaverandomteammember appreciationmomentslikepurchasing aStarbucksgiftcardthateveryonecan usetogogettheirfavoritebeverage.

ituatedonthegroupofIslands

SofLakeTexcoco.MexicoCityis thecapitalandlargestcityof Mexico,andthemostpopulouscityin NorthAmerica.Mexico'scapitalis boththeoldestcapitalcityinthe Americasandoneoftwofoundedby indigenouspeople.Oneoftheworld's alphacities,itissituatedintheValley ofMexicowithinthehighMexican centralhighlands,atanelevationof 2,240meters.Thecityhas16 megapolisordividedterritorials,which areinturndividedinto neighbourhoodsorcolonies.

Accordingtothemostrecentrationale agreeduponbythealliedandstate governments,theinhabitantscountof GreaterMexicoCityis21,804,515, whichmakesitthesixth-largest metropolitanareaintheworld.Mexico Cityisthesecond-largesurbancluster intheWesternHemisphere,andthe largestSpanish-speakingcityinthe world.GreaterMexicoCityhasaGDP of$411billionin2011,whichmakesit oneofthemostproductiveurbanareas intheworld.Thecitywas superintendedforinitiating15.8%of Mexico'sGDP,andthemetropolitan areaaccountedforabout22%ofthe country'sGDP.Ifitwerean individualisticcountryin2013,

MexicoCitywouldbethefifth-largest economyinLatinAmerica.Thefactors inclusiveinthegrowthofMexicoCity isalmosttourismandeducationsectors risingdaybyday.Inaddition, accordingtotheSecretariatofTourism, thecityhasabout170museumsis amongthetoptenofcitiesintheworld withhighestnumberofmuseumsover 100artgalleries,andsome30concert halls,allofwhichmaintainaconstant culturalactivityduringthewholeyear Manyareashavemuralspaintedby DiegoRivera.

GeographicalaspectsofMexicoCity MexicoCityissituatedintheValleyof Mexico,also,sometimescalledasthe BasinofMexico.Thisvalleyis situatedintheTrans-MexicanVolcanic BeltinthehighuplandsofsouthcentralMexico.

MexicoCityhasminimumaltitudeof 2,200metersabovesealevelandis enclosedbymountainsandvolcanoes thatreachaltitudeofover5,000 meters.Asthevalleyhasnonatural sewerageoutletforthewatersthatflow fromthemountainsides,itmakesthe cityexposedtofloodingandother naturalcalamities.Drainagewas manipulatedthroughtheuseofcanals andtunnelsstartinginthe17thcentury.

AstheMexicoCitypredominantly restsonLakeTexcoco.Earthshattering th activityisincessantthere.since17 centurytheLakeTexcocostarted evacuating.Eventhoughifthelake watersdon'tremainthecitystandson theheavilysaturatedclayofthelake's bed.Over-extractionofthe groundwaterresultsinthe disintegrationofthesoftbasegenerally referredasGroundwaterRelated Subsidence.

Although,thecityhasstartedsinking almostninemetersofsomeareasis th sunksincetheinceptionof20 century. AccordingtorecordsMexicoCity sinks20inchesor50cmeveryyear Thisplungeisresultinginproblems withrunoffandwastewater management,leadingtoflooding problemsandseveralnatural calamities,mostlyduringthesummer. Theentirelakebedisnowpavedover andmostofthecity'sremaining forestedareaslieinthesouthern metropolisofMilpaAlta,Tlalpanand Xochimilco.

EtymologyofMexicoCity

Theancientresiduesofhuman inhabitantsfoundintheareasof MexicoCityarethoseofPennon womanandremainingfoundinSan

BartoloAtepehuacan.Firstly,itwas believedthatthefindingskeep correspondencetotheearlyageof beforecommonera.However,astudy in2013statesthattheageofpennon womanwas12,700yearsold.Hence, resultingintheoldesthumanresidue discoveredintheAmericas.Study regardinghermitochondrialDNAit believedthatshecomeseitherfrom Asian,EuropeanorAboriginal Australianorigin.

Thecityhadbeenthecapitalofthe AztecEmpire.Inthedominionera, MexicoCitybecamethecapitalof NewSpain.TheviceroyofMexicoor vice-kinglivedintheviceregalpalace

onthemainsquareorZocalo.The MexicoCityMetropolitanCathedral, theseatoftheArchpriestofNew Spain,wasonothersideoftheZocalo, aswasthearchbishop'spalace,and beyondfromitthebuildinghousing thecitycouncilofthecity Alate seventeenth-centurypaintingofthe ZocalobyCristóbaldeVillalpando depictsthemainsquare,whichhad beentheoldAztecofficialcenter The subsistingcentralplaceoftheAztecs wasproductivelyandpermanently transformedtotheofficialcenterand seatofpowerduringthecolonial period,andremainstothisdayin modernMexico,thecentralplaceof thenation.Thereconstructionofthe

metropolisaftertheblockadeof Tenochtitlanwasskilledbytheample indigenouslaborintheencirclingarea.

MexicoCitywasthecenterstageofall thepoliticaldisputesofthecountry th duringthe19 century.Eventssuchas theMexican–AmericanWar,French InterferenceandtheReformWarleft thecityrelativelyunalteredandit continuedtogrow,mainlyduringthe ruleofPresidentPorfirioDíaz.During thistimethecityenlargedamodern infrastructure,suchasroads,schools, transportationsystemsand communicationsystems.However,the authoritiesfocusedresourcesand wealthintothemetropoliswhilethe

restofthecountrydeterioratein poverty.

Thehistoryoftherestofthe20th centurytothepresentconcentratedon theextraordinarygrowthofthe metropolisanditsenvironmentaland politicaleffects.In1900,the inhabitantscountofMexicoCitywas about500,000.Thecitybegantogrow vigorouslywestwardintheearlypart ofthe20thcenturyandthenbeganto growupwardsinthe1950s,withthe TorreLatinoAmericanabecomingthe city'sfirstskyscraper.

TherapidgrowthofMexicoCityasa centerformodernistinfrastructurewas mostfullydemonstratedinthemid1950sconstructionoftheCiudad Universitaria,MexicoCity,themain campusoftheNationalAutonomous

UniversityofMexico.Designedbythe mostreputablearchitectsoftheera, includingMarioPani,Eugenio Peschard,andEnriquedelMoral,the buildingsfeaturecanvasbyartists DiegoRivera,DavidAlfaroSiqueiros, andJoseChavezMorado.Ithassince beenrecognizedasaUNESCOWorld HeritageSite.

Travelingthroughtheculture& touristspointsfromtheMexicoCity

BeingcapitalofagiganticpreHispanicempire,andalsothecapital ofprosperousviceroyaltywithinthe SpanishEmpire.MexicoCityhasa richhistoryofartisticexpression. SincetheMesoamericanpre-Classical periodthepopulationofthe settlementsaroundLakeTexcoco generatemanyworksofartand

compoundcraftsmanship,someof whicharetodayexhibitedattheworldfamousNationalMuseumof AnthropologyandtheTemploMayor museum.Whilemanypiecesofpottery andstone-engravinghavesurvived,the greatmajorityoftheAmerindian iconographywasdevastatedduringthe defeatoftheAztecEmpire.

Duringthe19thcentury,animportant creatorofartwastheAcademiadeSan Carlos(SanCarlosArtAcademy), establishedduringcolonialtimes,and whichlaterbecametheEscuela NacionaldeArtesPlasticas(the NationalSchoolofArts)including painting,sculptureandgraphicdesign, oneofUNAM'sartschools.Manyof theworkscreatedbythestudentsand facultyofthattimearenowexhibited intheMuseoNacionaldeSanCarlos.

Duringthe20thcentury,manyartists movedtoMexicoCityfromvarious regionsofMexico,suchasLeopoldo Méndez,ansculptorfromVeracruz, whosupportedthecreationofthe socialistTallerdelaGraficaPopular, designedtohelpblue-collarworkers findadistinctaddresstoexpresstheir art.Otherpainterscamefromabroad, suchasCatalanpainterRemediosVaro andotherSpanishandJewishexiles.It wasinthesecondhalfofthe20th centurythattheartisticmovement begantomeanderapartfromthe Revolutionarytheme.

Museums

Beingoldestancientcityandrichin artisticaspectMexicoCityowns numerousmuseumsportrayingvarious artsandartstyles.Themuseums demonstratevariousartincludingthe Mexicancolonialart,modernand contemporaryartandinternationalart. TheMuseoTamayowasinauguratedin themid-1980stopreservethe collectionofinternational contemporaryartdonatedbyMexican painterRufinoTamayo.Thecollection includespiecesbyPicasso,Klee, Kandinsky,Warholandmanyothers, thoughmostofthecollectionis preservedwhilevisitingexhibitsare shown.TheMuseodeArteModernois awarehouseofMexicanartistsfrom the20thcentury,includingRivera, Orozco,Siqueiros,Kahlo,Gerzso, Carrington,Tamayo,andalso consistentlyhoststemporaryexhibits ofinternationalmodernart.Insouthern MexicoCity,theCarrilloGilMuseum showcasesavant-gardeartists,asdoes theMuseoUniversitarioArte Contemporaneo,designedbyMexican architectTeodoroGonzálezdeLeón, openedinlate2008.

TheMuseoSoumaya,namedafterthe wifeofMexicantycoonCarlosSlim, hasthehugeprivatecollectionof originalRodinsculpturesoutsideof

France.Italsohasagreatcollectionof Dalísculptures,andrecentlybegan displayingpiecesinitsmasters collectionincludingElGreco, Velazquez,PicassoandCanaletto.The museuminauguratedanewfuturisticdesignfacilityin2011justnorthof Polanco,whilemaintainingasmaller facilityinPlazaLoretoinsouthern MexicoCity.

TheMemoryandToleranceMuseum, openedin2011,displayeshistorical eventsofinequityandmassacre. Permanentantiquitiesincludethoseon theHolocaustandotherlarge-scale atrocities.Itisalsonativefor temporaryexhibits.

MostofMexicoCity'smuseumscanbe exploredfromTuesdaytoSundayfrom 10amto5pm,althoughsomeofthem haveexpandedschedules,suchasthe MuseumofSociologyandHistory, whichisopento7pm.Inadditionto this,entrancetomostmuseumsare freeonSunday.Insomecases,a nominalfeemaybecharged.

MexicoCityistheMexico'sprimecity fortheprintedmediaandbook publishingindustries.many daily

newspapersarepublished,including El Universal Excélsior Reforma La , , and Jornada.Othermajorpapersinclude Milenio Crónica El Economista , , and El Financiero.Leadingmagazines include , , ,as Expansión Proceso Poder wellasdozensofentertainment publicationssuchas , , Vanidades Quién Chilango TV Notas , ,andlocaleditions of , ,and Vogue GQ Architectural Digest.Itisalsoaleadingcenterofthe advertizingindustry

Thecityisalsoamajorcenterof popularcultureandmusic.Thereare abundantofvenuespresentingSpanish andforeign-languageartists.These countingthe10,000-seatNational Auditoriumthatconsistentlyorganize theSpanishandEnglish-languagepop androckartists,aswellasmanyofthe world'sfamousperformingartsgroups. theauditoriumalsobeamgrandopera showfromNewYork'sMetropolitan Operaongiant,highdefinitionscreens. In2007NationalAuditoriumwas designatedworld'sbestvenueby multiplegenremedia.Someothersites forpop-artistperformancesincludethe 3,000-seatTeatroMetropolitan,the 15,000-seatPalaciodelosDeportes, andthelarger50,000-seatForoSol

Stadium,wherepopularinternational artistsperformconsistently.TheCirque duSoleilhasheldseveralseasonsat theCarpaSantaFe,intheSantaFe districtinthewesternpartofthecity Thereareenormousvenuesforsmaller musicalensemblesandsolo performers.TheseincludetheHard RockLive,Bataclán,ForoScotiabank, Lunario,CircoVoladorandVoilá Acoustique.

TastyCuisineofMexicoCity

Oncetakeningrantinferiorfare,by the19thcenturytacoshadbecomea standardofMexicoCity'scuisine. subsequently,asauthoritiesstruggled totaxlocalcheese-breads,imposing authorisingconditionsandfines,asper records,somedetailedtypesoffoods wasbeingservedbythefoundations. Themostpersistentreferencewasfor tacosdebarbacoa.Alsopennedare enchiladas,tacosdemineroand gorditas,alongwithoystershopsand friedfishstands.Thereisconfirmation ofsomelocalspecialtiesbeingmade availableforcurrentmigrants;atleast twoshopswererenowedtoserve pozole,atypeofstewsimilarto hominythatisachiefofGuadalajara, Jalisco.MexicoCityisalsoknownfor havingsomeofthefreshestfishand seafoodinMexico'sinterior.Afterthe TsukijifieshmarketinJapan,Nueva Vigamarketfrommexicocityknown asthesecondlargestfishmarketinthe wrold.

MexicoCityoffersseveralcuisines: restaurantspracticinginthelocal cuisinesofMexico's31statesare availableinthemetropolis,andthecity alsohasmanybranchesof internationallyacknowledged restaurants.Theseinclusivelyconsists Paris'AuPieddeCochonandBrasserie Lipp,Philippe;Nobu,Quintonil, Morimoto;Pámpano,ownedby Mexican-basedoperaartistPlácido Domingo.Therearebranchesof

JapaneserestaurantSuntory,Italian restaurantAlfredo,aswellasNew YorksteakhousesMorton'sandThe Palm,andMonteCarlo'sBeefBar ThreeofLima'sHauterestaurants, servingPeruviancuisine,havevarious locationsinMexicoCity:LaMar, SegundoMuelleandAstridyGastón.

Accordingtothe2019recordsofThe World'sBest50Restaurantsbythe BritishMagzineRestaurantMexico Cityranked12thinthelistwithbest Mexicanavant-garderestaurantPujol. AlsoremarkableistheBasqueMexicanfusionrestaurantBiko,which placedoutsidethelistat59th,butin previousyearshasrankedwithinthe top50.Otherthathasbeenplacedon thelistin2019istherestaurantSud 777at58thplace.Attheotherendof thescaleareworkingclasspulquebars knownaspulquerías,aadventurefor travellerstolocateandexperience.

EconomicgrowthofMexicoCity

MexicoCityisoneofthemajor economichubsinLatinAmerica. 15.8%ofthecountry'sgrossdomestic productisproducedbyMexicoCity.In 2002,MexicoCityhadaHuman DevelopmentIndexscoreof0.915, similartothatofSouthKorea.In2007, inhabitantsinthetop12%ofGDPper capitaholdersinthecityhadamean netincomeofUS$98,517.Thehigh spendingpowerofMexicoCity residentsmakesthecitycaptivatingfor companiesofferingstandardandlavish goods.Asperthe2009studyheldby PwC,MexicoCityhadaGDPof$390 billion,rankingitastheeighthrichest cityintheworldandtherichestin LatinAmerica.

MexicoCityisnativeformanylarge scalebank headquarters,insurance companiesaswellasvariousfinance consultingfirms.Duetothebounded non-developedspaceatthesouthmost ofwhichissecuredthrough

environmentallawsthecontributionof MexicoCityinagricultureisthe comparativelysmallestofall authoritiesinthenation.

MexicoCityoffersanhugeandvariety ofconsumerretailmarket,variedfrom basicfoodstoultrahigh-endlavish goods.Costumorsbuy'sgoodsfrom varietyofindoormarkets,street vendors,downtownshops,etc.Street vendorsusuallysetuptheirstallsin non-officialareaslikenearmetro stations,hospitals,etc.

TheHistoricCenterofMexicoCityis widelyknownforexclusive,oftenlowcostretailers.Certainblocksorstreets areallotedtoshopssellingacertain typeofmerchandise,withareasalloted toover40categoriessuchashome appliances,lampsandelectricals, closetsandbathrooms,housewares, weddingdresses,jukeboxes,printing, officefurnitureandsafes,books, photography,jewelry,andopticians.

Sports&EducationofMexicoCity

Sports

Thecountry'smostpopularand broadcastedgameiscountedtilldateis football.Itsimportantemplacementsin MexicoCityincludetheAzteca Stadium,nativetotheMexiconational footballteamandgiantsAmérica, whichcanaccomodate91,653fans, makingitthelargeststadiuminLatin America.TheOlympicStadiumin CiudadUniversitariaisadobetothe footballclubgiantsUniversidad Nacional,withaseatingcapacityof over52,000.TheEstadioAzul,which accomodates33,042fans,isnearthe WorldTradeCenterMexicoCityinthe Nochebuenaneighborhood,andis nativetothegiantsCruzAzul. Anothersportsprofessionallyplayedin thecityisBaseball.MexicoCityis nativeoftheMexicoCityRedDevils oftheMexicanLeague,whichis

contemplatedaTriple-Aleagueby MajorLeagueBaseball.Varioussports provisionsinMexicoCityarethe PalaciodelosDeportesindoorarena, FranciscoMárquezOlympic SwimmingPool,theHipódromode LasAméricas,theAgustinMelgar OlympicVelodrome,andlocationsfor equestrianismandhorseracing,ice hockey,rugby,American-stylefootball, baseball,andbasketball.

Education

UnlikethoseofMexicanstates' schools,curriculaofMexicoCity's publicschoolsismanagedbythe federalSecretaryofPublicEducation. Thewholefundingisallocatedbythe governmentofMexicoCity(insome specificcases,suchasElColegiode México,fundingcomesfromboththe city'sgovernmentandotherpublicand privatenationalandinternational entities).

TheNationalAutonomousUniversity ofMexico(UNAM),situatedin MexicoCity,isthelargestuniversity onthecontinent,withmorethan 300,000studentsfromallbackgrounds. ThreeNobleimmortals,diverse Mexicanentrepreneursandmostof Mexico'smodern-daypresidentsare amongitsformerstudents.UNAM conductshalfofMexico'sscientific researchandhaspresenceallacrossthe countrywithsatellitecampuses, observatoriesandresearchcenters.

InnovatingtheFuture!

Withtheadventofnewtechnologiesand mind-blowinginnovations,thebusiness worldhastokeepupwithalot.Despitethe paradigmshift,entrepreneursarepoolingintofightfor thetopspotintoday'sfast-pacedever-changingeraof business.

Inthisbattle,wemetmanyformidablewarriors,oneof thembeingacompanycalledChromaWay. ChromaWayprovidesaplatformforsmartcontracts andissuingandtransferringassetsthrougha blockchain.ChromaWayhasbeenworkingwiththe SwedishLandRegistryandotherinstitutionsand financialcompaniestoprovidesmartcontractsolutions fortherealestatefield.

ZaraZamaniistheChiefSolutionsOfficerat ChromaWay.Sheisasplendidexampleofanexquisite andcharismaticleader,inspiringcountlessbudding entrepreneursandmesmerizingtheworldofbusiness withhercompany'sfuturisticandclass-apartservices.

InaconversationwithZaraZamani,ChiefSolutionsOfficer atChromaWay.Let'sgettoknowmoreabouthercompany, itsservices,andherprofessionaljourney ChromaWaywasfoundedin2014withourrelational blockchainmodel,calledPostchain,whichproveditselfto beanexcellentplatformforprivateenterpriseblockchain applications.

Briefusaboutthecompany,whatinspiredustostart thecompany?

Sincethen,theteamandvisionsurroundingthecompany havegrownexponentially.Inadditiontoourprivate enterpriseworkthroughChromaWay,wehavealso launchedapublicplatformcalledChromiawhichboastsa rapidlyexpandingecosystem.

Westrivetoprovideblockchainapplicationsthatareeasyto useandcreaterealvalueinsocietybyprovidingtransparent systemsthatenhanceefficiencyandreduceexploitation.

CEO, ChromaWay

on?Howareyourservicesdifferentfromthoseinthe market?

Chromiaisourpublicblockchainprotocol.Thedefining featureofourplatformisthatitcombinesthesecurityofa blockchainwiththedatahandlingpowerandflexibilityofa relationaldatabase.Mostblockchainsinusetodayarevery inefficientinthewaytheystoreandhandledata,making themincompatiblewiththemajorityoflarge-scale applications(onlinebanking,socialmedia,etc.)thatall makeextensiveuseofdatabasesintheirdesign.

Inaddition,weuseaninnovativeconsensusmodelthat removestheneedforminingandgreatlyreducestheenergy consumptionandcarbonfootprintofourblockchain.

whichdiffersfrommanyexistingonesbybeingdynamic, evolvability,mutability,attachability,andalmostfreeofgas feefeatures.

Pleasetellusaboutyourteam.

ChromaWayhasgrownfromasmallgroupoffounding memberstobecomeaglobalanddiverseteamofover150 peopleworkingfromallaroundtheglobe.Wehavemore than20nationalitiesandwespeakmorethan30languages ontheteam.

Pleasebriefusaboutyourprofessionalexperience.

Well,myprofessionalexperienceisnotawholedifferent storytomanymorewhomadeitrightintheircareer.Itisa

lotaboutfocus,hardwork,learningtodosmartwork,andthen workingsmartbuthard.Iamanengineerturnedaleader.I startedmycareerintheoilandgasindustryasahardcorefield engineer

MyexperienceintheOilandgasindustrytaughtmeto communicateeffectivelywithaverydiversegroupofpeoplein termsofprofession,skills,education,culture,gender, language,andmanymore.Italsotoughenedmeupsinceitwas averymaledominantindustry.

However,afterafewyears,Ifeltisolatedandnotabletorelate towhereIwantedtoheadinmylifewhichwastomakea changeinmakingtheworldabetterplace.ThatiswhenI shiftedtothetechindustryandfoundedatraveltechlater turnedintoafintechcompanyandgotmyselfintothewhole financeworldandeventuallyblockchainin2015.

Today,IamablockchainsolutionarchitectandworkasChief SolutionsOfficeratChromaWay.Ihavehadtheprivilegeto designblockchainsolutionsinvariousindustriesandwork withthemostbrilliantpeople.Iamalsoalectureranda researcherinblockchainadoptionatHalmstadUniversity, SouthSweden.

Whatarethekeyachievementsofyourbusinessjourney?

MybiggestachievementistheconfidenceandtrustthatIhave inmyselftodaythatIamwalkingontherightpath.Plusthe factthatIamaresilientandempoweredandempowering motherraisingsuchadaughter.

Besidesthat,Ihavebeenawardedas21womeninthe blockchainyoushouldknowbyFintechReviewin2021aswell astop10influentialwomenintechnologybyAnalyticsInsight in2021.Ihavealsobeenamongthetop50mostinfluential womenonLinkedInin2019.

Anyexcitingprojectyouwouldliketohighlight?

OneoftheexcitingprojectsIcanshareisMyNeighbourAlice andlaunchingablockchain-basedgame.MyNeighbourAlice wasfirstconceivedin2020,withtheALICEtokenlaunching onBinanceinMarch2021.

Thegamewasconceivedasanopen-worldmultiplayerbuilder game,sortoflike'AnimalCrossing'.Fromthebeginning,the goaloftheprojecthasbeentobuildaplay-to-earnblockchain gamethatappealstocasualplayersbyusingawhimsical aestheticandprioritizingastreamlinedUIandmobile integration.

alphaseasonreleaseexpectedinQ2ofthisyear roadmaphasrecentlybeenpublishedfollowingan aggressiveexpansionofboththedevelopmentand operationsteam,andweareexcitedtobemovingfullspeed aheadtowardsdeliveringablockchaingamethatcancross overandappealtocryptoandnon-cryptousersalike.

Whichisyourfavoritequote?

IhavemanyfavoritequotesbutonethatIalwayssay myselfisthat:technologyisasgoodasus,humans.

So,ifwewantabetterworldweusetechnologyforthe bettermentwhichisnotalwaysthecasebecausebetterment isnotalwaystheendgoalofallofus.

THE STARBUCKS

StarbucksCorporation,basedinSeattle,Washington,isanAmericanglobalcoffeehouseandroastery business.Asofearly2020,thefirmhasover30,000outletsin70countriesacrosstheworld.

ThisblogisacomprehensiveexaminationofStarbucks’marketingtechniques,includingtheirtargetmarket, socialmediastrategy,marketingmix,digitalmarketingpresence,campaigns,andmarketingactivitiesthroughout theongoingpandemic.

AboutStarbucks

Inthe1980s,all-outespressoofferingsintheUnitedStateswereonthedecline.Strengthespresso,ontheother hand,grewinpopularityandaccountedfor10%ofthemarketin1989,comparedtoonly3%in1983.By1986, thegrouphadsixlocationsinSeattleandhadonlyrecentlybegunsellingcoffee.By1989,Starbuckshad46 locationsacrosstheNorthwestandMidwest,andeachyearitbrewedmorethan2,000,000pounds(907,185kg)of coffee.Starbuckshad140locationswith$73.5millioninrevenueatthetimeofitsfirstpublicoffering(IPO)on thestockexchangeinJune1992,upfrom$1.3millionin1987.

Atthisstage,theorganization’sfairmarketvaluewasjudgedtobe$271million.Thesaleofa12%stakeinthe companyearnedroughly$25millionforthecompany,resultinginatwo-foldincreaseinthenumberofoutlets overthenexttwoyears.Starbucks’offercosthadrisenby70%tomorethandoubletimestheincomeper componentofthepreviousyearbySeptember1992.InJuly2013,over10%ofin-storepurchasesweremadevia theStarbucksapponcustomers’phones.

Starbucksisranked132ndontheFortune500listofthelargestcompaniesintheUnitedStatesbyrevenueasof 2018.StarbuckssaidinJuly2019thattheir“monetarysecond-quartertotalcompensationof$1.37billion,or $1.12pershare,upfrom$852.5million,or61centsforeachoffer,ayearearlier.”Inthemiddleof2019,the organization’sfairassessedworthof$110.2billionincreasedby41%.Inthethirdquarter,earningspersharewere 78pennies,significantlymorethantheforecasted72cents.

Ÿ

Hotandcolddrinks

Starbucks,astheworld’slargestcoffeehousechain,isoftenregardedasthefaceofAmerica’ssecondwaveof coffeeculture.Starbuckscoffeehousesserve: Ÿ Whole-beancoffee

Ÿ MicrogroundinstantcoffeeknownasVIA

Ÿ

Full-andloose-leafteasincludingTeavanateaproducts

Ÿ Snacksincludingitemssuchaschipsandcrackers

Ÿ

LaBoulangepastries

Andalso,someofferingsthatareseasonalorspecifictothe localityofthestore.

StarbucksinIndia

StarbuckswasinterestedinenteringtheIndianmarketin the2010s.Byfocusingonthespecificupper-class demographicinIndia,thefirmhopedtoprofitfromthe developmentofcoffeeculture.

StarbucksCorporationandTataCoffeeannouncedplansto launchStarbucksstoresinIndiainJanuary2011.Despitea phonystartin2007,StarbuckssaidinJanuary2012thatit willforma50:50jointventurewithTataGlobalBeverages namedTataStarbucksLtd.,whichwouldownandoperate shopslabelled“Starbucks,ATataAlliance”.In2007, StarbucksattemptedtoentertheIndianmarket.Itdidnot, however,offerarationaleforthecancellation.Starbucks launcheditsfirststoreinalongtimeonOctober19,2012,a 4,500-square-footlocationatHornimanCircle,Mumbai.In 2013,Starbuckslauncheditsfirstcookingandwrapping factoryinCoorg,Karnataka,inordertoservicethe company’scustomers.

Tatain2017-18,Starbucksadded25locations,andin201819,itplanstoopen30.FromJune2020,accordingtoCEO NavinGurnaney,TataStarbuckswillutilizesolely biodegradableandrecyclablewrappingmaterialsacrossits entireshopnetwork.OnAugust7,2019,Starbucks announceditsarrivalinGujarat.Thenextday,thegroup launchedfiveoutletsinSuratandAhmedabad.Thestate's largestStarbuckslocationisinPrahladNagar,Ahmedabad, anditprovidesmoreveganoptionsthanotherIndian locations.Inthe2019-20fiscalyear,Navinstatedthatthe companywillopenmorethan30outlets,11ofwhichhave beenopened.

Followingthesuccessfullaunchoftheirbrand,thenext criticalstageinguaranteeingtheirlong-termviabilitywas topinpointtheirtargetdemographic.

TheTargetMarketofStarbucks

Starbucksisahigh-endcoffeecompanywithaclientelethat ispredominantlyfromtheupper-middleandupperclasses. Thebrandisaimedatcustomerswhodesirearelaxing environmenttoconsumecoffeeandunwind.Theseare primarilyhigher-wageprofessionals,companyowners,or

ThetargetaudiencethatStarbucksusuallylooksforare:

Urban-ish,onthego Ÿ High-incomespenders Ÿ ReachingBeyondthestorefront

otherhigh-endclientelebetweentheagesof22and50. Peoplewholivefast-pacedlivesdesiredeliciouscoffeeand aquietplacetounwindafteralongday.Starbucksprovides allofthesebenefitsinoneconvenientlocation.Starbucks’ targetdemographiccomprisesbothmaleandfemale consumers,withthemajorityofthesecustomersfalling withinthe25-45agebracket.Thosewhoaremostlyurban, health-conscious,andclass-consciousconsumers. Ÿ

Health-consciousprofessionals

Technologyearlyadopters

Flexibletochange

TheMarketingStrategiesofStarbucks

Starbucks’firstmarketingstrategyinIndiawastosegregate customersegmentsbasedonsocioeconomicstatus. Workingprofessionalsandtheirdemandforarelaxing environmentarethefocusofthisproject.Starbucks additionallyseparatesitsmarketbasedongeographyand demographicsbyestablishinglocationsthatcatertothe aforementionedtargetclientele.Mostbusinessesstartoutin anewmarketbyfocusingonaparticularsectionandthen expandintoothercategoriesiftheysucceed.Starbucks followedsuit,expandingitsproductlineandsocialmedia marketingpresencetotargetteensandyoungadultsaswell.

Ÿ

ThismarketingmixhashelpedStarbuckstodevelopa uniquemarketpositionforitsproductswhichhas therebydifferentiatedthebrand’soverallexperienceand haspositioneditselfasahighlyreputedbrand.This marketingmixstrategytotargetthemodernandtechsavvygenerationhasthushelpedinthegrowthofthe useofdigitaltechnologyaswellassocialmediafor promotionsandcustomerengagement.

TheRapidDigitalExpansion

AmongsttheseveralkeyprioritiesofStarbucks,expanding thebrand’sdigitalreachtointeractwithitscustomersisof utmostimportance.Inordertokeepupwiththecustomers, itisimplementingnewwaystoattractdigitallyregistered customersbeyondStarbucks’rewardsprogram.For instance,thecoffeechainisofferingmobileorderservices andleveragingWi-Fisign-insatitsbrick-and-mortarstores.

StarbucksSocialMediaStrategy:Severalpeopleareaware andfamiliarwiththesocialmediapagesofStarbucks.The company’ssocialmediapagesstandoutamongsttherest becauseoftheirdistinctivebranding,interactiveposts,and visuallypleasingcontent.Italsohasadiverserangeof contentincludesrecipes,photography,articles,and features;however,thisstreamcanbebrokendownintoa sequenceofcampaignspitchedatcreatingabettersenseof brandawarenessandcommunity.

StarbucksProduct-basedMarketingCampaigns:Starbucks promotesone-of-a-kindandfan-favoritedrinks.Thebrand iswellawareofhowpopulartheirflagshipgoodsare,but moresignificantly,theyarealsoawarethattheirtarget audienceishungryforthistypeofmaterial.They'vealso builtsocialpagesfortheirmostpopulardrinks,like

PumpkinSpicedLatteandFrappuccino,wheretheyshare pertinentandrelatablememeswiththeirdevotedfans. User-generatedcontent(UGC)playsarolehereaswell. ConsumerphotographsofmoreInstagrammableitems,like theUnicornFrappuccino,arefrequentlychosentoberesharedviaofficialchannelsandutilizedininfluencer marketing.

Starbuckspositionsitselfasopen-mindedandinclusiveby usingsocialchangeasamarketingstrategy.The #ExtraShotOfPridecampaign,whichpromotestheLGBT+ community,isoneexample.

Community-BasedCampaigns:Starbucks’digitalapproach alsoplacesapremiumonspotlightingindividualsand communities.Considerthe#RedCupArtcampaign,which notonlyboostsinteractionbutalsocreatesalibraryofuser generatedmaterial.Theylocalizetheinformationbyusing narrativetodemonstrateexamplesofbraveryandcharityin Americanneighborhoods.Starbucksmakesaconscious attempttohumanizethefirmbypublishingtalesontheir Instagramaccountthatemphasizetheemployeesthatplay animportantrole,particularlywhenitcomestocustomer service.Thissenseofbelongingalsomakesonlinecoffee contentsociable,justliketheydidwhentheyeffectively foundedcontemporarycoffeehouseculture.

FestiveMarketing:Starbuckshasalsolaunchedanew seasonalwhole-beancoffee,the#StarbucksDiwaliBlend, forcustomersintheUnitedStatesandcertaininternational markets.Hand-pickedandobtainedfromTataEstatesin KarnatakaandTamilNadu,thecurrentexquisitemixisa must-try.StarbucksDiwaliBlendpayshomagetothe region’srichcoffeelegacyandskill.Itcreatedthe #SketchTheBlendpromotion,inwhichconsumerscould win5freedrinksbysharingtheircreativityontheDiwali Blendcupandsleeve.

Let’sdivedeeperandanalyzetheiroveralldigitalpresence.

DigitalMarketingPresenceofStarbucks

Starbucksrecognizesthatitscustomersaredigitallysavvy, makingasoliddigitalmarketingplanessential.Starbucks clearlyfavorsmarketingonplatformsthatallowfortwowaycontactoverchannelsthatonlyallowforone-way communication,suchasprintandtelevision.

Instagram–248K+followers

Facebook–1.1M+likes

StarbucksCorporateSocialResponsibility-BasedCampaign

Twitter–161K+followers

Starbucksupdatesitssocialmediaaccountsonaregular basisandcreateschallengesandgamestoengagecustomers andgrowitsfanbase.

Thecontentandengagementareconsistentacrossall platforms,andthecompanybelievesinprovidingan experienceratherthanmerelyarouteformarketing.

TheMarketingStrategyDuringCovid-19

We’veallseenhowquicklytheCovid-19outbreakspread overtheworld.Overnight,everybusinessintheworldwas impacted.Andtheyhadtofigureouthowtostayafloatin theseunchartedwaters.Theepidemichadasignificant influenceontheIndianmarket,butStarbuckswas continuallyimprovingtolessentheeconomicimpact.These weretheactionsperformedbythecoffeebehemothduring theepidemic,demonstratingwhyitisthemostvaluable:

TheExpansionofStarbucks

CEONavinGurnaneyindicatedthattheywillopendrivethrustoencouragepeopletointeractwiththem,aswellas homedeliveriestokeepintouchwithclientsduringthe epidemic.Thefirstdrive-thruwasatAmbalaChandigarh ExpresswayinZirakpur.Thecompanyhaslauncheditsapp aswell—StarbucksIndiaAppsothatcustomerscaneasily navigateandpurchasetheirofferings.

StarbucksSocialMediaCampaigns

#ReconnectWithStarbuckscampaign:

Starbucks’socialmediacampaignwaslaunchedintwo stages.Customerswereurgedtosubmittheirmeansof reconnectingdespitetheepidemicandtheirfavorite StarbucksmemoryontheirpersonalInstagramaccounts withthehashtag#ReconnectWithStarbucksinthefirst phase.Theyencouragedtheirconsumerstoremarkontheir favoritebeverageonthepostinthesecondphase,“Half CupFull.”Theythensenttheseconsumersaudiomemos withtheirfavoritebeverageandbaristasyellingtheirnames toremindthemofthefamedin-storeexperience.Thiswas anexcellentadvertisementsinceitnotonlyreminded consumersoftheirfondrecollectionsofStarbucks,butit alsomadethemfeelgoodaboutthemselves.

#StarbucksAtHomeand#StarbucksDance:

Starbuckshaslauncheda1literoffreshlybreweddrinks thatcanbeorderedthroughSwiggyandZomatofortakeout ordelivery.Sevenflavorswereintroduced,eachcosting

Rs.550perbottle.Starbucksannouncedthe #StarbucksDancechallengetoadvertisethedrink,asking consumerstofilmadancevideowiththedrinkandpostit totheirpersonalaccounts.Theyguaranteedthewinnera yearoffreeStarbucks.

StrategicAlliancestoEnhancetheExperienceandReach

SignatureMerchandiseLaunchwithFlipkart:

Theepidemicchangedpeople’sshoppinghabitsand pushedthemtobuylocallyproducedgoodsratherthan importedorforeign-madegoods.Starbuckstookadvantage ofthistransitionbyteamingupwithFlipkarttosell StarbucksSignatureMerchandiseontheonline marketplace.Custommugs,tumblers,coldcups,andother itemswereavailable.Customerswillbeabletoorder coffee-makingequipmentfromtheconvenienceoftheir ownhomesinthenearfuture.Starbucksonlyhada presencein12cities;thus,thiswasacalculatedeffortto reachouttocustomersintheirhomesacrossIndiaduring theepidemic,takingadvantageofthecountry’sgrowing relianceonE-Commerce.

Stand-upComedyFestival:

Starbuckshaslaunchedthe#StarbucksComedyFestival, whichwillgiveselectfortunatecustomersafreeticketto thecomicfestival.Onthecustomer’sinvoice,thefortunate codeswouldbepresent.Customerswouldbeexcitedto shopmnowthattheyhaveaprominentline-upof presentersincludingSapanVerma,AzeemBanatwalla,and RahulSubramanian.

Conclusion

Insummary,Starbucksisthemarketleaderbecauseofits dominantworldwidepresenceandleadership.Becauseof itsintimateambiance,invitingenvironment,andunrivaled service,acustomer'sexperienceataStarbucksstoreis undoubtedlyunlikeanyothercoffeeshop.Their welcoming“perfectcoffeeshopatmosphere”shouldbea long-termcompetitiveadvantage.Starbucks’retailoutlets andon-sitecollaborationshaveearnedhigherresponse rates,puttingtheminfrontofthepackinthemature business.Asaresultofitsall-encompassingmarketing approach,Starbucksenjoysastrongmarketposition.

Forallthedamageand disruption,thepandemichad caused,toseethesilverlining, ithasalsohelpeduslooktowardsthe nextgenerationofwork.Thiserahas propelledusalltoanewwork environment,andhaspromotedremote workandhasbeenabletofusethe professionalandpersonallifeofmany employees.Bystrikingtheright balance,theaverageemployeehas beenabletomaintainagoodpersonal lifeandalsoperformbetteratthe office.

Theleadersthathavemasteredtheart ofself-managementwhilealso navigatingsomeunexpectedfrontiers havepushedthemselvesaheadduring thischallengingyear.Thestriking qualitieslikethatofarigidemotional discipline,theunnervingresilienceand anadvancedsenseofself-awareness, thequalitiesthatarerequiredthemost inacrisishavebeenhonedbywomen astheyhaveworkedtheirwaytothe cornerofficesandboardrooms.

Theobstaclesthatmanywomenhave facedwhilemakingtheirwaytothe tophaveseasonedthemtobecome leaders,asthisnextgenerationofwork istakingshape.Andtoaddtothe magicofitallhavebeentheunique challengesofthepandemic,forminga cultureofitsown.

WhyWomeninLeadership?

Naturally,womenarethemost powerfulagentsofchange.Apartfrom that,thefar-reachingbenefitsofgender parityanddiversityinleadershipand decision-makinghavehadimmense effectsonthebusinessandarebeing recognizedinallthespheres.Andeven so,thewomenoftheworldcontinueto beingunder-representedinmajor decision-makinginthefieldsof politics,businessesandcommunities.

WhyareWomenBetterin LeadershipRoles?

Toadvancethegenderjusticeand genderequality,womenasleadersand decisionmakersarecriticaltothe businessenvironment.Thiswillalso helptofurthertheeconomic,social andthepoliticalprogressforeveryone.

Inaworldthatischangingrapidly, wherethenatureofworkisshifting rapidly,thereremainsashortageof skillandwillcontinuetobesointhe comingdecade.Atthistimeitis crucialforbusinessestounderstand women'sleadershippotentialtoavoid themoftheirperil.

Creatingagender-balance,especially atdecision-makinglevels,willnotonly helpbusinessesmakeagoodsenseof thethingsthatarehappening,butwill alsohelptopavewayforamuchmore diverseandproductivenatureof enterpriseswhichwillinturnbenefit theworkers,employersandsocieties.

HowtoPromoteWomenin LeadershipRoles?

Duetothepandemic,theworldhas seenarapidshiftfromatraditional workingenvironmenttoadigital workingenvironment.Aswestepinto thisdigitalera,companiesarerequired tobemoreproactiveaboutbreaking downthecultureofconstant availability

Toensurethis,thecompaniesneedto introducepolicieslikeflexi-time, teleworking,maternityandpaternity leaveandreturn-to-workprogrammes. Introducingsuchpolicieswillensure thatworkingwomenarenotdeprived atworkforhandlingboth,thework andtheirresponsibilitiesathome.

Asamatteroffact,introducingthese policieswillnotonlybenefitwomen,

butalltheworkerstherebyhelping reducework-stressandburnout.And oncethesefactorsareeliminated,all thecompaniesareleftwithisa sustainableproductivityofworkersin thelong-term.

Eventhoughpoliciesmaynotfix everything,itcanprovetobeagreat startingpointtoaddressanderadicate thegenderproblemthatprevailsin manybusinesses.Researchhasproven thatthecompaniesthathaveactive equalopportunitiesandgender inclusivepolicieshaveseenmore womeninalllevelsofmanagement.

Unlessanduntilthesepoliciesgeta buy-infromthemanagers,mostof thesepoliciessitthereindrawers, gatheringdust.Tomakethesepolicies work,itisimportantthatthemanagers aretrainedinthatway.

Anotherimportantfactortotakeinto considerationisthedominoeffect. Whenthereisawomanalready workingatsometoplevel,sheis boundtoattractmorewomenintothe workplace,withahopeofreaching thatpoint.Andthatishowwomencan bemoreinvolvedinbusinessesand workplaces.

Shapingthenextgenerationofwomen leadersisnotatask,forwhich someonehastostartfromthescratch. Withthenumerousmovementsacross theworld,businessesarealready seeinganumberofwomentakeonthe charge.Butwithsomelittlechangesto howweapproachgenderimparitycan buildthenextgenerationofwomen entrepreneurs.

Shaping the Next Generation of

Women Leaders

JenniferBarnes,Founder&CEO

AllYourResourcesatonePlace!

Establishingabusinessisnoeasyfeat.It requiresmuchmorethanjustagood businessmodel,capital,businessplan, etc.Atitscore,itrequiresatalentedand indomitableleadershipthatfuelsthecompany andrunsitsproducts/servicesinthemarket effectivelyandprogressively.

Alotofthingscometomindwhentheword entrepreneurpopsup.Butdespitethedefinitions, aspiration,andmotivationattachedtoit,it becomesadifferentwordwhenonestepsoutin themarket.

InthiseditionofTheEnterpriseWorld,we featureandcommendsomeofthemost enterprisingwomenoftheyear.

InconversationwithJenniferBarnes, Founder,andCEOofOptimaOffice.Let's hearmoreaboutthecompany,herprofessional journey,andmuchmore!

TellusaboutOptimaOffice,andwhatinspired youtostartyourcompany?

IstartedOptimainOctoberof2018aftermyexpartnersdidahostiletakeoverofmyfirst company.Imadethemistakeofbeingina situationwithmyfirstcompanywhereIonly owned45%oftheorganization.Ibroughtinover 90%ofalltherevenueandmostofthe employees.

Wewerethe5thfastestgrowingcompanyinSan Diegoour4thyearinbusinessandthingsseemed

tobegoingextremelywell,until-well-they weren't.Inyear6,afteracoupleofyearsofbeing inabadrelationshipwithmypartners,theyfound awaytodoahostiletakeoverofthecompany.I waswalkedoutwithsecurityandhadeverything takenfromme.

Withinthreedays,however,Istartedcompany#2 andwithinthreeweeks,Imovedacrossthestreet fromthem.27oftheemployeescamewithme andIendedupprevailingprettyquicklyincourt bybeingallowedtocompeteagainsttheother companyIowned.Fastforward3andahalfyears later,Optimaistwicethesize.Itturnedouttobe thebestthingthateverhappenedtome!

Whataretheproductsorservicesthecompany focuseson?

OptimaprovidesanentireaccountingandHR teamtobusinessesinallindustriesandofall sizes.Wecanalsofillthegapsatanylevel,from thebookkeepingroletotheCFOorHRDirector. Ourmainfocusisonprovidingourclientswith strategicadvice,financialstatementstheycanrely onandhumanresourceservicesthatkeepthem outoftroubleandtheiremployeeshappy

Howareyourservicesdifferentfromthosein themarket?

Wepersonalizeourservicestoeveryclient.We alwayshaveavailabilityateverylevelandnever squeezesquarepegsintoroundholes.Wearealso oneoftheonlyfemale-runaccountingfirms around.

Pleasetellusaboutyourteam?

Wehave85employeesandare65%women currently.HalfofourteamareControllerlevel andaboveandwehavesomeofthemosttalented professionalsinthemarket.Wepromoteworklifebalanceandtakeexceptionalcareofour team.Retentionisourbiggestfocusandwedo everythingwecantolivebythethemethathappy staffequalshappyclients.

Tellusaboutyourprofessionalexperience?

Istartedmycareerintheaccountingdepartment atPetcoafterIgraduatedfromtheUniversityof ArizonawithaBachelor'sdegreeinFinance, Accounting,andMarketing.Imovedmywayup theladderquicklyandafewyearsafter graduatingendedupinaconsultingroleasa ControllerfornumerouscompaniesandnonprofitsthroughoutSanDiego.

LearningquicklythatIneededtofurthermy educationIearnedanMBAfromSanDiegoState Universityin2008(EMBA17)andcompletedthe BeckerCPAcoursesin2011.Afterconsultingfor twoofourcurrentcompetitorsforalmost5years, Istartedmyfirstcompanyandtherestishistory.

Pleasesharesomeofthekeyachievementsof yourbusinessjourney?

Iwasplacedinthetop40under40business leadersinSanDiegoCountyandearnedthespot intheSDBJ'sWomenwhoMeanBusinessfor5 yearsinarow.Iwasfeaturedinthewomanofthe yearforSanDiegoMagazineforthepasttwo yearsinarow,afinalistforCEOoftheyearin 2017aswellasbeingnamedthe2017Young EntrepreneuroftheyearfortheSanDiego ChamberofCommerce.

Iwasalsoawardedthemostinfluentialleaderin 2016bytheConnectedWomenofInfluenceand

inthesameyearwasasemi-finalistinEY's Entrepreneuroftheyear AtOptima,Ihavebeen bestowedwithanother22awards.Thelatestones are:

● CEOoftheyearWinnerinMedium Business-IssuedbySDBJ

● EnterprisingWomenoftheyear-over$5 million-IssuedbyEnterprising

● SanDiego500TopInfluentialPeoplein SanDiego-IssuedbySDBJ

● Top20Workplaces2021-IssuedbySD Union-Tribune

● FinalistforWomenoftheYear-Issuedby SanDiegoMagazine

● CorporateCitizenAward-Issuedby SDBJ

● IndustryLeader-CelebratingWomenIssuedbySanDiegoMagazine

● InspirationalWomenFinalist-Issuedby LATimes

● ResilienceAwardResilienceAwardIssuedbyConnectedWomenofInfluence

Intheir4thyearofbusiness,Optimaisgoingto doover$9millioninrevenue,upfrom6.3 millioninyear3.

Anyclientexperienceyouwouldliketo highlight?

Wehaveabunchofamazingtestimonialsonour website.Wecurrentlyservewellover200 companiesandaregrowing.

Whatisyourfavoritequote?

HappyStaff=HappyClients.